[I’m participating in NaBloPoMo. Thirty days, thirty posts. Tuesday is Day Two, and it I bring you a simple side dish recipe!]

Wow. These carrots just stopped me in my tracks. No, really. I was on my way to making carbonara, with home-cured guanciale. And I ate the entire bowl of carrots instead, as my onions and pork simmered on the stove.

These carrots come from Gourmet’s Quick Kitchen Special Edition. Not only does this edition make me happy because it was the reappearance of Gourmet, but for $11 it is chock full of recipes. My lovely friend Emily [of Mouth of the Border] raved about both this magazine and the carrot recipe in particular. She is one of my friends whose taste in food, wine and cocktails is pretty much spot on.

But the time this recipe took had me doubting a bit – 15 minutes on the stovetop, 40 minutes in the oven, for carrots?! But why would I ever doubt Gourmet? This recipe was worth it. Low effort, high flavor, this will absolutely change your mind about cooked carrots. The recipe below is for one hearty dinner of carrots or two smaller sides.

Thyme Roasted Carrots

adapted barely from Gourmet

1 tbsp olive oil

12 oz carrots, halved lengthwise

1 tsp butter

4 cloves garlic, keep peeling on

1 sprig fresh thyme or one hearty pinch dried thyme

kosher salt and cracked black pepper – a pinch of each

2 tbsp water

Preheat the oven to 400º. Heat oil in a 12″ ovenproof skillet over high heat until the oil is barely smoking. Add carrots, cut side down, to skillet. Cook, unmoved, 12-15 minutes or until brown. If all carrots do not fit cut-side down, cook in two batches.

Add butter and stir around. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and water, cover your pan with a tight fitting lid or foil. Place in oven and roast for 20 minutes.

Remove the lid or foil and continue roasting, stirring occasionally, until crispy, 10-15 more minutes.